I grew up in Tonganoxie, Kansas and went to Tonganoxie Public Schools. I started my college education at KU as a music major, spent 5 years in New York, then came back to Lawrence to be closer to my family and friends as a single mother. I went on to complete my bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from Kansas State University and live with my husband and our four children.

This last year I was a substitute teacher in Lawrence and surrounding districts as I considered if I might want to be a public school teacher. That started my journey of exploring problems in our district specifically. We have Topeka underfunding our schools and then a lack of financial transparency in our district compounding the problems. I also believe that the democratic process is being undermined – we need a school board that will ensure our community knows exactly how our public funds are being spent and hold leadership accountable. We must look critically at district decisions, especially when those decisions affect the most vulnerable in our city, our children who are at the mercy of adult decisions. I’m passionate about doing the research required to improve overall district health and feel compelled to help our district in crisis. The entire Lawrence community and our children deserve a thriving public school district.